The AIM-9 Sidewinder (AIM standing for Air Intercept Missile) is a short-range, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile developed by the US Navy's China Lake Facility in the early 1950s. It was the AIM-9B version which first entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and the US Air Force in the mid-1960s, later evolving into the AIM-9D/E/G/H/J models with minor improvements between each other. The missile has a cylindrical body with a roll-stabilizing rear wing and detachable control surfaces. It uses an infrared homing guidance system and either a high-explosive fragmentation or high-explosive continuous-rod warhead, depending on the model. The AIM-9B model can reach Mach 1.9 with an effective range of 2 to 6 kilometres, regularly limited to 4km by lock-on distance.